Brady news alters potential Dolphins role

With the Heat playing late Tuesday night, all Dolphins talk today:

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady’s potential long-term role with the Dolphins changed significantly on Tuesday when Fox Network announced that Brady will become its lead NFL game analyst whenever he retires. The deal is for 10 years and $375 million, according to the New York Post.

That would seem to preclude Brady from taking an executive position with the Dolphins, a scenario that had been in the works earlier this offseason.

A source confirmed an initial report by The Boston Globe that the Dolphins were set to give Brady a piece of ownership — with an executive front office title — before Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the Dolphins and

Brady decided to continue playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But the source said the title would have been largely ceremonial, with Brady unlikely to be involved in going on scouting trips and evaluating college players.

Though it’s conceivable (albeit unlikely) that Fox and the NFL could allow Brady to own a small piece of the Dolphins and broadcast games for Fox, that would be highly unusual.

And it’s impossible to envision any scenario in which Brady could broadcast games for Fox and be an important piece of the Dolphins front office, including recruiting free agents or having input on personnel.

Besides handling game analyst duties, Fox said Brady “will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives.”

Fox’s announcement does not eliminate the possibility of Brady joining the Dolphins as a player in 2023 if the Dolphins aren’t pleased with Tua Tagovailoa this season and if Brady wants to play another season.

According to multiple reports, the Dolphins originally hoped Brady would become their quarterback this season, but it ultimately became too difficult to pull off, with the Flores lawsuit providing an unexpected obstacle and Tampa positioned to demand draft compensation.

But Brady will be a free agent after this season and could decide to play for the Dolphins in 2023 before moving into broadcasting a year later.

Brady has a home in South Florida and a close relationship with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Dolphins chairman Bruce Beal, who has first right to purchase the team if Ross sells or passes away.

Brady, 44, is still at the top of his game. He threw 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for Tampa last season. He initially retired in February, then changed his mind weeks later and decided to return to play at least another year for Tampa Bay, which had him under contract.

The NBA has permitted minority owners of teams to handle significant network broadcast jobs, with Utah Jazz part-owner/TNT studio analyst Dwyane Wade and Atlanta Hawks part owner/TNT game analyst Grant Hill among the examples.

The NFL hasn’t typically permitted that, making it unlikely that Brady would transition to any type of meaningful Dolphins role once he retires as a player.

The Dolphins hope Tagovailoa establishes himself as the team’s franchise quarterback this season, the third of his four-year rookie deal. If he does not, then Brady remains a one-year Dolphins option (if he wants to continue playing), potentially while the Dolphins draft and develop one of a half dozen or so quarterbacks expected to be selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

But the Dolphins’ 2023 cap space is limited, and stomaching a substantial one-year cap hit for Brady in 2023 would be onerous and could force the team to cut multiple players.

At Fox, Brady would eventually replace Troy Aikman, who left for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” this offseason. Fox also promoted Kevin Burkhardt to its lead NFL play-by-play job after Joe Buck opted to join Aikman at ESPN.

So Brady will work with Burkhardt on Fox’s lead team eventually, whether it’s in 2023 or 2024. In the meantime, Fox must decide on a lead analyst to work alongside Burkhardt in the interim, with former

Miami Hurricanes tight end Greg Olsen an option. Olsen was Burkhardt’s partner on Fox’s No. 2 team last season.

The NFL confirmed that the Dolphins or Bills likely will play at Detroit on Thanksgiving. The full schedule will be released Thursday.

Joel Filani, the Texas Tech wide receivers coach for Dolphins fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma, told me Ezukanma is set up for NFL success because “he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. When the ball is in his hands, he’s looking to make guys miss and that’s what makes him special. … He enjoys nice things but understands you need to put the work in.”

And Filani, who’s now at Washington State, said Ezukanma will benefit from having another former Texas Tech player, Wes Welker, as his wide receivers coach.

“I had a Zoom during COVID with Wes with the fellows, and they picked his brain,” Filani said of his players, including Ezukanma. “Wes is really good at what he does. That will be good for Erik, a coach with an overachieving mindset and there’s no better teacher than Wes.”

Ezukanma had 20 contested catches over the past three years and forced 34 missed tackles. His 7.8 yards after catch last season was 28th best in the country.

What about the Dolphins’ undrafted rookie receivers? Mississippi’s Braylon Sanders averaged 21.1 yards on 69 college catches but NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein calls him a “onedimensional wideout with speed to burn but a history of injuries that halted any momentum during his career at Ole Miss.” Idaho State’s Tanner Conner

“possesses explosive athletic ability but lacks NFL receiving skills,” Zierlein said.

New Dolphins running back Sony Michel, who got $2.1 million on a oneyear deal, might be the best short-yardage back on the roster. On third- or fourth-down carries needing 3 yards or fewer to convert, Michel is 35 for 53 in his career (66 percent). His signing puts at most risk Myles Gaskin,

whose $2.5 million salary is non-guaranteed. Salvon Ahmed also is in jeopardy; his $895,000 salary is non-guaranteed.